


We're in the Endgame Now

by supervengerslock



Series: Hey, Stephen [5]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers Endgame, F/M, Reader adopts Zelma, Reader is the Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen and the reader have a son, Steve Rogers is kind of a jerk, Time Travel, Wong is noobmaster69
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-24 04:47:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20352622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supervengerslock/pseuds/supervengerslock
Summary: In the wake of the snap, Tony, Y/N, and Nebula are stuck in space until someone rescues them. If they even last that long.





	1. Lost in Space

Time will tell how much I love you. That was engraved on the back of Stephen’s old watch. Originally, it had been a present from Christine, whose name had been scratched off the back of the watch after so long. Now, it seemed a message from Stephen himself to Y/N. “It will indeed,” Y/N mumbles.

She was sure to see him again soon anyway. They weren’t going to survive the trip home.

Y/N had gotten the watch in the rubble of the Sanctum when Thanos attacked. She saw it and grabbed it before the fight happened. It must have fallen off of Stephen’s wrist.

His face had haunted her every night in her dreams since it happened. If only they could have stopped it, destroyed the time stone or something. Stephen, he had seen all the possibilities. Only one in which they would win. Was this the right one? It sure didn’t feel like it. Even if it was, she wouldn’t live to see Thanos’s defeat.

They had gone through all the supplies in the ship, and it went dead a while back. Even her genius father couldn’t fix it. If she hadn’t gotten her sling ring destroyed on Titan they would be on earth right now, finding a way to bring everybody back.

Tony was sitting down on the floor of the ship, his iron man helmet facing him. The gash in his abdomen still remained from where Thanos had stabbed him. There was no bandages, no medicine, not even magic to keep it from getting infected. The infection had run its course. Now, Tony was making a message, Y/N guessed to send to earth.

Y/N sat back down at the table to continue the game of paper football with Nebula. “If only I had that sling ring, we’d be outta here and hunting down Thanos.”

“What is a sling ring?”

“It gives me my powers. It’s convenient for masters of the mystic arts because anyone can use them, but they are so easy to lose.”

“I don’t know if this ‘sling ring’ of yours will work on Thanos,” Nebula replies.

“Whatever it takes,” Y/N answers. “If only we still had the time stone..”

Y/N looked down at the table sadly. “I’m sorry about your friends by the way.”

“They were my sister’s friends,” Nebula replies. “I don’t have friends.”

“I can be your friend,” Y/N says.

The blue girl smiles. “I’ve never really had a friend before.”

Y/N smiles, looking through the doorway at her father, still recording his message in his helmet.

“And when I drift off, I’ll dream about you, always you.”

“Hey, Dad. What are you doing?”

“A message, for Pepper. If she’s still alive..”

Y/N suddenly felt light headed, and Nebula guided her to a chair. “Thanks,” she says. “Are you guys scared, you know, of dying?”

Tony stayed silent. As did Nebula. “I used to be terrified, but ever since Kamar-Taj, I’m not so afraid. Just kind of …peaceful.”

She didn’t know when she drifted out of consciousness, what she was awoken quickly when she felt the movement of the ship.

“What’s happening?” she asks.

“We’re going home,” her father replies.

The ship finally landed at the avengers compound. Everyone was outside waiting, well, everyone who was still alive.

Tony stumbled out of the ship. Steve was right in front of him. “I lost the kid,” Tony said to him.

“Tony, we lost,” Steve said. He was correcting him like the arrogant dickbag he is.

Tony stumbled into Pepper’s arms. Nebula helped Y/N off the ship. “Can someone get me a phone?” she asks. “I need to call Wong and get a new sling ring.”

“You need rest,” Nebula says. “And probably a doctor.”

“I could really go for some pizza,” Y/N jokes.

“Y/N?” Steve says. Y/N rolls her eyes.

“Is that the man you told me about? Steve Rogers?” Nebula asks. Y/N nods. Nebula nods back and punches Steve in the face.

Y/N can’t stop the laughter that escapes her mouth. It quickly turns to coughing, and Nebula helps to steady her. Everyone stares at the pair. “What? He hurt my friend,” Nebula says.

Everyone was brought inside, and Y/N and Tony were hooked up to IVs in the medical area of the compound. Though they both insisted to be in the room for the meeting.

There were pictures of the missing people all around. Stephen’s picture was of the first on the screen and Y/N looked away.

“And it looks like he did exactly what he said he would do,” Natasha says. “Thanos wiped out fifty percent of all living creatures.”

“Where is he now?” Tony asks.

“We don’t know,” Steve says. “He just opened a portal and walked through.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Tony asks, pointing to Thor.

“He’s pissed, he thinks he failed,” Rocket says. “Which he did, but there’s a lot of that going around, ain’t it?”

“You know, until this exact moment, I thought you were a Build-a-Bear.”

“Maybe I am.”

Steve rolled his eyes at Tony’s smart ass attitude. Y/N glared at Steve. “We’ve been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep space scans and satellites, and we got nothing. Tony, you fought him.”

“No!” Tony retorts. “I didn’t fight him. He wiped my face with a planet while the Bleeker Street magician gave away the store.”

“Did he give you any clues? Any coordinates?”

“Really, Steve?” Y/N exclaims. “We just got back from space, where we almost died!”

“Y/N, it’s okay, I can handle this,” Tony says.

“Tony, I’m gonna need you to focus.”

“And I needed you, Cap. As in past tense. And that trumps what you need. It’s too late, buddy.”

Tony stands up and something crashes to the floor. “You know what I need? I need a shave.”

Rhodey and Y/N keep telling him to sit down as he rips the IV out of his arm. “I remember telling you that we needed a suit of armor around the world. Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not. That’s what we needed!”

“Well, that didn’t work out, did it?” Steve asks in that damn condescending voice of his.

“I said we’d lose, you said we’ll do that together too,” Tony says. “Guess what, Cap? We lost. And you weren’t there. That’s what we do, right? Our best work after the fact? We’re the Avengers!”

Rhodey tried to force Tony back into his seat. “We’re the Avengers, not the Prevengers.”

“Alright, you made your point,” Rhodey says.

“Dad, please just sit down.”

“No! No! Here’s my point!” He points to Carol. “You are new blood. We need you.”

“I got nothing for you, Cap,” Tony says, walking up to Steve. “No coordinates, no clues, no strategy. No options, zero, zip, nada. No trust.”

Tony rips the arc reactor out of his chest and puts it into Steve’s hand. “Here, take this. You find him, you put that on, and you hide.”

Y/N screams as Tony collapses to the floor.


	2. Whatever It Takes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The remaining avengers and Captain Marvel hatch a last ditch effort to defeat Thanos.

Steve looked at Y/N. She was different than when he last saw her. They said she had magic powers now? The Y/N he knew was naive, innocent. This Y/N had seen some shit. She wore something like jedi robes, but they were purple. And she had a gold sword on her belt. She was wearing a watch, a men’s watch it seemed. It was old and the glass was cracked, but it had once been very expensive. Had she lost someone? A boyfriend, perhaps? Then, he noticed the shiny ring on her finger. Husband. It wasn’t a real ring, it was made out of some kind of magic. 

Her hair was shorter, her eyes didn’t shine the way they used to. She was slimmer, surely from malnutrition on that ship. Steve knew it wasn’t the best idea to bring her, but no one else had her powers. They needed her. 

Steve turned his head away as she noticed him staring and turned his attention to the talking raccoon.

“Alright, raise your hand if you’ve been to space before.”

Y/N and most of the others raise their hands. “Don’t throw up in my ship.”

“Approaching the jump in 3…2…1…”

The ship jumped to light speed, and everything around them moved faster and faster. Eventually, they stopped at a planet. The place Thanos was staying.

“I’ll head down for recon,” Carol says, flying down to the planet. 

“This is gonna work, Steve,” Natasha says.

“I know it will, because I don’t know what I’ll do if it doesn’t.”

Carol returned. “No satelittes, no ships, no armies. No ground defenses of any kind. It’s just him.”

“And that’s enough.”

Thanos was making a snack in his house when Carol flew in and grabbed him while the other Avengers came in. Once Thanos is restrained by Carol, Bruce, Y/N, and Rhodey, Thor uses Stormbreaker to cut off the arm that has the gauntlet on it. 

Rocket turns the gauntlet over to find it empty. “Oh no.”

Y/N puts her sword up to Thanos’s neck. “Where are they?”

“Answer the question!”

“The universe required correction. After that, stones served no purpose, other than temptation.”

“You murdered trillions!” Bruce exclaims, shoving the titan.

“You should be grateful.”

“Where are the stones?” Natasha asks.

“Gone. Reduced to Atoms.”

“You used them two days ago!” Bruce interjects.

“He destroyed them,” Y/N says. “That’s what he used them for.”

“Yes, it nearly killed me. But the work is done. It always will be. I am inevitable.”

Y/N removes the sword from Thanos’s neck and backs up, processing everything. He really was gone. Forever. Thanos looks to Nebula. 

“Thank you, daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly.”

Suddenly, Thor’s axe comes out of nowhere and decapitates Thanos. 

“Thor, what did you do?” Rocket asks.

“I went for the head.”

Thanos was dead. They had won. They were supposed to be happy. So why did Y/N feel so empty inside?

The return to the compound did not bring her peace, nor did the Sanctum. She couldn’t even be in her own bedroom with those pictures of him. Stephen. The love of her life. No going back. No time stone, no “bargain.”

Just a momentary spec in an indifferent universe. That’s what they were reduced to.

It had been five years since then, five years since Thanos destroyed the stones, five years since everyone’s lives were ruined forever.

Y/N stood in front of her group of students, perspective sorcerers. After taking up the mantle of sorceress supreme, Y/N decided to move to Kamar-taj, and distance herself from her so-called friends, the avengers. Y/N taught new students and healed the sick, all while raising her and Stephen’s young son, AJ. 

Sometimes, when she was at the New York sanctum, she would take AJ and go visit her father, Pepper, and Morgan. Though she hadn’t seen the rest of the avengers in a long time. 

So, when Steve Rogers showed up at Kamar-taj that day, he was the last person she wanted to see. 

She was standing in front of her group of students when she noticed them in the background, watching her. “Alright, students. That will be enough training for today.”

The students cleared out and Zelma approached with Steve and a few others. Zelma was a young college student. She had been a teenager when Y/N took her in, now Zelma was her daughter and the librarian at the New York Sanctum. Wong always sent her to Kamar-taj when he couldn’t be bothered to come.

“Zelma, sweetie, you could have told me we had company!”

“Sorry, Mom, they showed up at the Sanctum asking for you.”

Steve’s head snaps up when he hears Zelma call Y/N mom. “Okay, sweetie, can you give us some privacy?”

Zelma nods and exits. “Mom?” Steve asks.

“I adopted her,” Y/N says. Y/N smiles at her old friend. “Steve, you’re looking well.”

AJ ran outside as soon as he saw Steve. He didn’t have the same distaste for the super soldier that his namesake did. 

“Uncle Steve!” the boy ran and jumped into Steve’s arms. 

“AJ, you’ve gotten so big!” He set the small boy back on the ground and knelt down to his level. 

“AJ, can you go inside so I can talk to Uncle Steve?” Y/N asks. 

The boy pouts. “Anthony Stephen Strange , inside!” Y/N points towards the door, which he finally walks into. 

“Cute kid,” the other guy with Steve says. 

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Y/N asks.

“Y/N!” Steve scolds, but Scott shushes him. 

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I’m Scott Lang, Antman. We haven’t been formally introduced.”

“Oh yeah, you were that guy that got really big at the airport,” Y/N says. “Y/N Stark-Strange, Sorceress Supreme.”

“So, Steve, what is this about?” Y/N asks. 

“We think we can bring everybody back.”

Y/N scoffed. “Don’t you think I tried? I scoured every book in that library at least a thousand times! Even the Ancient One’s private collection! Nothing can bring everyone back but the stones.”

“Exactly, that’s what we’re gonna do.”

“What get the stones? Like time travel? Impossible without the time stone, and we don’t have the proper spells without the Eye of Agamotto.”

“We may have another way, but we need everyone’s help to do it, especially our geniuses,” Steve replies. 

“Sweetheart, I’m not your anything,” Y/N retorts. “But I’ll do it.”

“You will?”

“For him.”

Y/N pondered over this as they knocked on her father’s door. AJ hurries into his grandfather’s arms when he opens the door and Zelma follows.

“Hey, thought you weren’t coming til Saturday,” Tony says to Y/N before he notices Steve and the others. “What’s going on?”

“Dad, can we talk?”

“Go play with Morgan, AJ,” Tony says, prying his grandson off of him. The boy obliges, hurrying into the house. 

“We’re going to bring them back,” Y/N says. “And we need your help to do it, Dad.”

“Y/N…. I can’t. I came out here to be away from all that, I’m sorry.”

“What about Peter? Or Stephen? Don’t they deserve to live this life as much as you do? Don’t your grandchildren deserve to have their father?” 

Awkward silence fell on the group. “This isn’t up for discussion, young lady. Now, if you all can behave, you can stay for dinner.”

Tony goes back into the house. Y/N turns to the rest of the group. “I’ll go say goodbye to AJ and Zelma and we’ll be on our way.”

AJ was in the living room, building legos with Morgan, while Zelma was sitting on the couch with a book. “Sweetie, Mommy’s gotta go, but you’re gonna stay here for a while, okay?” she says. He hugs his mother. “Where are you going, Mommy?”

“On a…. business trip. I won’t be back for a while. I love you, sweetie.”

“I love you too, Mommy.”

The little boy smiled at her, and Y/N could see so much of Stephen in him, the hair, the eyes, the smile, the warmth Y/N was sure only Stephen had. Y/N knew she had to bring him back. For him.

Zelma stood up and hugged Y/N. “Be careful, Mom.”

“I’ll be fine, Zelma. Take care of AJ, please. I’ll be back soon. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The front door opened, and Y/N exited the house. “You ready?” Steve asks. Y/N nods, tears pouring from her eyes as she opens the portal to the avengers compound. She would get him back. Whatever it takes.


	3. The Time Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to the past brings a sort-of reunion for Stephen and Y/N.

The time machine itself was not hard to master. It took time and practice, and Scott Lang turning into a baby and back, but they eventually got the gist of it. 

The plan was for Y/N to go with Bruce to get the time stone from the Ancient One, after all the sanctum was her home, if anyone could break in, she could. 

The biggest problem with the time machine was there were barely enough Pym particles to go around. They hadn’t done but a couple of test runs, and except when Scott turned into a baby, nothing bad really happened. 

The physical experience of time travel was a lot different than it was portrayed in the movies. It felt like the atoms in your body were ripped apart and put back together somewhere else in the space time continuum. Y/N wondered if Stephen felt this way when they defeated Dormammu.

Y/N hoped this worked. She has to get Stephen back. Y/N felt cool air, and off in the distance, the hum of the air conditioner. Something wasn’t right. 

She opened her eyes. Pristine white walls and floors. The smell of antiseptic filled the air. This couldn’t be right. I’m supposed to be at the sanctum!

“Guys, do you copy?” Y/N asks into the comms.

“Y/N? Where the hell are you?” Tony asks. “You didn’t appear at the same spot we did.”

“I think I’m in a hospital, Dad,” Y/N says. “Definitely New York hospital.”

“Fine, just meet us at the rendezvous point,” Steve says. 

“What about the time stone?” Y/N asks.

“I can handle it, Y/N,” Bruce says. “Just try to stay out of danger.”

“Roger that.”

Y/N looks around the hallway. She wasn’t even sure what wing of the hospital this was. Probably a restricted one, seeing as there was nobody there. 

“You’re not supposed to be back here,” A familiar baritone voice says. Y/N’s head shot up in disbelief. It was him. Stephen. His face was clean shaven, he still had the salt-and-pepper hair that she loved. His blue-green eyes, she could stare into them for hours. He was wearing blue doctor scrubs and had his arms crossed expectantly, like he was waiting for her to reply. Tears sprung from her eyes as soon as she saw him. 

“I asked what you’re doing back here.”

“I-uh-“

“Are you crying?”

Y/N didn’t get a chance to answer as crashing sounds came from upstairs. “The Chitauri,” Y/N mumbles, wiping the tears from her face. 

“The what?”

“Spangles, do you copy? The Chitauri are attacking the hospital. I don’t remember them getting this far downtown,” Y/N says into the comms.

A grunt is heard from the other side. “I’m kinda busy at the moment, Y/N.”

“What the hell is going on?” Stephen asks. 

Y/N grabs his arm and starts to walk down the hallway. “I’m taking you somewhere safe, Doctor Strange. And then I’m going to protect this hospital and everyone in it.”

He scoffs. “How are you going to do that?” 

“Y/N, I got the stone,” Bruce says into the comms. 

“I’ll meet you back at the compound,” Y/N says into the comms. “I’ve got a Chitauri situation, nothing I can’t handle.”

“Roger that.”

“Are you one of the Avengers?” Stephen asks.

“Yes, Stephen.”

“How do you know my first name?” he asks. “I don’t even know you.”

Y/N bites her lip to try to keep from saying something. “Who I am is not important,” Y/N says. “Just do whatever I tell you and you’ll stay alive.”

Y/N finally reached front doors. The Chitauri were raging outside, destroying buildings and everything. “I need you to stay here and keep the people safe, okay, Stephen?” Y/N says.

“What are you gonna do?” he asks. Y/N unsheathes her sword. 

“I’m gonna defend the hospital.” Stephen stared at her in awe as she strutted outside to fight the Chitauri. Someone met her outside. 

“Loki,” Y/N says, conjuring up a magic shield with one hand, while holding her sword with the other.

“Aren’t you Stark’s daughter? A sorceress? You’re not of this time, are you?”

Y/N stabs a Chitauri while continuing her conversation. “I’m from the future. A future where Thanos wins. Half of all life is gone.”

“Why does that concern me?” Loki asks.

“It doesn’t, this isn’t even my mission. This is personal. Loki, turn yourself into the Avengers and give up the tesseract, or I’ll take it from you myself.”

“I have to be going, sorceress, but have fun with my army.”

Loki hitches a ride on one of the Chitauri, while a few more charge at the hospital. “Fuck!” Y/N exclaims, trying to fight off the five Chitauri surrounding her. “Does anyone copy? I need backup!”

Dead silence. In mid fight, she dropped her sword and started falling to the ground. The last Chitauri started after her until someone else stabbed it through the eye with her sword. 

She looked up to see Stephen standing above her, holding the sword. He extended a hand to her and helped her up. “I told you to stay inside! You could have been killed.”

“You’re welcome, by the way,” Stephen says sarcastically. “And who was that goth man you were yelling at?” 

“Jealous, Strange?” Y/N asks.

“It’s Doctor Strange, and I don’t even know you, so don’t be ridiculous,” he says. “Can I know the name of the woman that saved us all?”

“No, sorry,” she says. “And do me a favor, don’t mention my presence to the Avengers or anybody.”

Without thinking, she pulls Stephen in for a hug. He stiffens for a second, but softens into the hug after a moment. Y/N pulls away after a minute, realizing how weird this must be for him. “It was nice to meet you, Doctor Strange.”

“Will I ever see you again?” Stephen asks.

“I guarantee it,” Y/N says. She smiles and waves to him before pressing the button on her time travel device and disappearing. Y/N opens her eyes back in the compound. Everyone was standing around. Tony pulls his daughter into a hug.

“Oh, thank God. We thought we lost you.”

“I almost was for a sec,” Y/N says. “Stephen saved me. Now, I’ve got to save him.”

Y/N looks around at the group. “Clint, where’s Nat?” Y/N asks.

“The stone, it demanded a sacrifice,” he says, looking down at the ground with tears in his eyes. “She’s gone.”

Everyone sat silent for a while before Thor spoke up. “We can bring her back, right? We’ve got the stones.”

No one answered him. Finally, Y/N spoke up. “Nat wouldn’t want us to be moping around. She would want us to get off our asses and bring everybody back.”

“We still don’t have a gauntlet,” someone says.

“Then, we’ll make one. We’re the Avengers! We don’t give up. Whatever. It. Takes.”

It was Tony that spoke up next. “Let’s do it.”

Y/N, her father, and Bruce labored in the lab for hours until finally, they had managed to turn an arm from Iron Man armor into a makeshift infinity gauntlet. The Avengers all sat in a room, trying to decide who should do the snap.

“I’ll do it,” Thor says desperately. 

“Ok, show of hands, how many of you have ever used an infinity stone before?”

Y/N and Rocket raised their hands. “So, it’s settled. I’m doing it,” Y/N says.

“Y/N……” Tony says.

Y/N puts on the gauntlet. “Dad, I love you, but I’m doing this. And if something goes wrong, take care of AJ for me.”

Y/N hugs her father. “Alright, just bring everybody who turned to dust back, nothing fancy,” Tony says.

Y/N nods, moving to the middle of the circle the group is standing in. She snaps her fingers as the power courses through her veins. Y/N collapses to the ground as the compound explodes.


	4. The Battle For Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the compound gets blown up, the Avengers get a surprise from their old nemesis.

“Y/N. Wake up. Can you hear me?”

Y/N opened her eyes. There was rubble everywhere, the compound was in ruins. The gauntlet was a little charred, but was generally okay, and laid next to Y/N’s side. Clint was above her, shaking her awake.

“Clint? What happened?”

“It worked. But… Thanos, Thanos from the past is here.”

Y/N tries to sit up. “Are you okay?” Clint asks.

Y/N looks over her body. No sign of injury. “I’m.. Yeah, I think I’m okay.”

“Look out, behind you!” Y/N ducks and Clint fires arrows at the Chitauri behind them, who catch on fire. 

“We gotta get the stones out of here.” Clint nods, grabbing the gauntlet. The two of them climb out of the rubble to find Thor, Steve, and Tony already fighting Thanos. Thanos has Thor pinned down and is about to plunge an axe in Thor’s chest when Mjolnir hits Thanos in the head. Clint and Y/N watch in awe as the hammer goes back to who threw it. Steve. 

“I’ll help Steve,” Y/N says. “Head to the van with that.” Clint nods, running off. Y/N joins Steve just as Thanos’s army joins him. “Oh no.”

Steve, breathing heavily, straps the shield to his arm as he and Y/N start to charge towards the coming army. 

“Hey, Cap? Can you hear me?” Sam says on the coms. Steve and Y/N look at each other. “Cap, it’s Sam, can you hear me? On your left.”

Steve and Y/N turn to see dimensional gateways opening up and the people who were dusted walking through. Sam flies through as more dimensional gateways open up, and the guardians, Stephen, and Peter come through. 

Stephen.

Y/N hurried to him as more people come through. “Stephen!”

“Is that everyone?” he asks.

“What, you wanted more?”

Scott grows giant as he puts Hulk, Rhodey, and Rocket safely onto the ground. Everyone starts to gather up before Steve says the magic words.

“Avengers! ….. Assemble.”

Everyone charges at Thanos’s army. Scott punches a ship out of the sky. Steve accidentally takes Stormbreaker instead of Mjolnir.

“No, give me that. You have the little one!” Thor says, and they do their exchange. 

Y/N finds her father and stabs this alien thing that was about to attack him. Peter drops down onto the ground in front of them. “Oh my god, you are not going to believe what’s been happening. Do you remember when we were in space? And I must’ve passed out because I woke up and you were gone, but Doctor Strange was there, right? And he said, it’s been five years, come on, they need us! And he started doing the yellow sparkly thing he does all the time…”

Y/N and Tony engulf Peter in a hug. “Oh, this is nice.”

“What do we do with these Stones?” Clint asks. “Thanos destroyed the quantum tunnel.”

“Hold on!” Scott says, pushing the button on the key chain. “That wasn’t our only time machine.”

“Anyone see an ugly brown van out there?” Steve asks. 

“Yes,” Valkyrie says. “But you’re not gonna like where it’s parked.”

“Scott, how long you need to get that thing working?”

“Maybe ten minutes.”

“Get it started,” Steve says. “We’ll get the stones to you.”

Tony approached Stephen and Y/N. “Hey, you said one out of fourteen million we win, is this the one?”

“If I tell you what happens, it won’t happen.”

“You better be right.”

Y/N sees Thanos and his army going after Clint, who is running with the stones. She needs to make a diversion, quick. 

“Hey, Grimace!” Thanos and Maw both turn toward her. “Come and get me!”

She charges towards the titan with her sword, stabbing Thanos in the chest. The titan throws Y/N to the side and pulls out the sword, snapping it in two.

“Okay,” she says with gritted teeth. She reaches out for something, anything to use as a weapon. The hammer, Mjolnir comes to her hand as Thanos tries to grab her. She hits him with the hammer. 

“I knew it!” Thor says again through the comms. Y/N hits Thanos with a lightning blast. 

“Guys, I could use a little help.”

Wanda comes up next to Y/N. “You took everything from me!” she screams at the titan. 

“I don’t even know who you are,” Thanos says.

“You will.” She hits him with some of her magic while Y/N buries Maw in rubble and Peter grabs the gauntlet. 

“Activate instant kill.”

Wanda uses her powers to restrict Thanos. “Rain fire!”

“But sire, our troops.”

“Just do it!”

It begins to rain fire upon them and Y/N, along with the other sorcerers, make a forcefield above everyone to protect them.

Water starts to flow down and Stephen and Y/N jump into action to stop it. “You know, I thought our reunion would be more romantic.” Y/N says and Stephen chuckles.

“You mean fighting off an alien army isn’t considered romantic?” he jokes.

Stephen notices the hammer in Y/N’s hand. “Holy fuck,” he mumbles under his breath.

Y/N looks to see Peter needs some help, noticing she’s still got Mjolnir. “Hey, Peter! Heads up!”

She throws the hammer, which Peter grabs onto for the ride. The web breaks and he falls, but Pepper grabs him and slings him towards Valkyrie and her pegasus.

As it continues to rain fire, Peter falls off the pegasus and drops the gauntlet, but picks it back up again. The firing finally stops as Carol plows through the ship. 

Carol approaches the teenager. “Hi, I’m Peter Parker.”

“Hi, Peter Parker, you got something for me?”

“I don’t know how you’re gonna get it through all of that.”

All the women, including Y/N drop down beside Carol. “Don’t worry, she’s got help.”

They all charge at the coming army and they almost have it until Thanos throws a spear at something, and Carol drops the gauntlet. 

Steve and Thor attack Thanos, Steve gets knocked aside and Thor attacks him with both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker.

Thanos makes a grab for the gauntlet, but Carol attacks him, and he throws her aside. He grabs the gauntlet and puts it on. Carol starts to pull the gauntlet off, but Thanos uses the power stone against her.

Stephen looks at Tony and puts up his index finger. One. Tony gets the message.

Thanos returns the power stone to the gauntlet as Tony hurried over to the Titan, Y/N following him.

Tony and Y/N grab the gauntlet, trying to pull it off the titan’s arms. Thanos throws both of them aside and goes to snap his fingers. “I am inevitable.”

He looks at the gauntlet. The stones are gone. Tony stands up to reveal the stones on his armor. “And I am Iron Man.”

He snaps his fingers, and one by one, Thanos’s army turns to dust, and then, Thanos himself turns to dust.

Y/N grabs her father as he starts to collapse. “Dad! Dad! Stay with me!”

Pepper and Peter and a few others approach. “Mr. Stark? We won.”

Y/N pulls Peter away and hugs him as Pepper walks up to Tony. “Tony, look at me. We’re gonna be okay. You can rest now.”

The light in the arc reactor goes out, and Y/N hugs the kid tighter as she sobs. Stephen walks up and pulls Y/N into his arms, and she sobs into his chest.


	5. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers mourn Earth’s Best Defender, Steve makes a very hard decision, and Stephen and Y/N’s relationship suffers.

Clint was the first to kneel after the arc reactor went out. He covered his mouth to keep from crying. T’Challa and Carol followed,then Peter, Nebula and Valkyrie. A lot of them didn’t know Tony, but that just showed the impact he had. Steve’s knees gave out, and Stephen kneels a guilt-ridden look on his face. 

Everyone was kneeling now for the great Tony Stark. The man who saved the universe.

The funeral was held by the lake at the cabin in which the Starks had lived for the past few years.

Everything had changed in the five years Stephen was gone. He and Y/N had not one, but two children. Well, one of them was adopted, but still. AJ, which Stephen learned stood for Anthony Stephen Strange Jr, was like a mini version of him. Zelma was young, Stephen guessed in her late teens or early twenties. Probably late teens. 

Y/N was more stoic now. More mature. Stephen figured that happened during the five years he missed, it even the time they spent bringing everyone back. But no matter what, she was still the woman he loved. His fingers were interlaced with hers, the mystical wedding band on her hand was glowing. 

They had never had their wedding ceremony. Thanos attacked a week before they were supposed to have it.

Now, it was five years later, Tony was dead, and Y/N had been the Sorcerer Supreme for five years. Everyone was gathered around, the Avengers, the Guardians, the Wakandians, SHIELD, the Stark-Strange family, everyone. 

Stephen looked over at his fiance. She hadn’t shed another tear since the breakdown she had shortly after the battle. They thought she was just being strong and stoic, but Stephen knew she was bottling it up inside. 

Stephen didn’t deserve her. He was the one that killed Tony. It was his fault. He was the one that caused Y/N so much pain. 

“I’m gonna go check on AJ,” Y/N says, walking away. 

“A lot has changed in the past five years,” Wong says. “It’ll take you a while to get used to it.”

“Thanks for taking care of them all this time,” Stephen says. “You’re a good friend, Wong.”

This earned a small nod from the master of the mystic arts, but nothing else. The days following the funeral were bleak. Stephen blamed himself and became distant from Y/N, and Y/N was depressed and became distant from Stephen. AJ spent most of his time with Wong and Zelma, playing video games and looking through books in the library that he couldn’t even read. 

“Uncle Wong? Why is your name noobmaster69?” he asks. Zelma starts laughing and Wong ignores them.

“Godofthunder and Korggg are online.”

Wong starts screaming at people on fortnite while Zelma pulls AJ out of the room. Someone knocks on the door and Zelma goes to answer it. Steve stands on the other side of the door. “Hi, is Y/N there?”

“Uncle Steve!” AJ runs up to Steve and latches onto the super soldier.

“Yeah, she’s inside. Come in.”

Steve follows Zelma and AJ into the house as Wong yells at children in the background. “Does he always do that?” Steve asks.

“Yeah, he’s super into those games,” Zelma says. :”he’s playing with Thor.”

“Uncle Wong likes to say bad words when he plays his game. Daddy said I can’t play the game with Uncle Wong anymore.”

Y/N was drinking a cup of coffee in the sanctum’s kitchen when Steve walked in with Zelma and AJ. “Y/N, can we talk?”

“Steve! Of course, follow me.” Y/N takes him to the library where they finally sit down in the chairs across from each other, unaware Stephen was also in the library, and could hear every word they were saying.

“What’s up?”

“You don’t look good, Y/N,” Steve says.

“Steve, please! I’m fine,” Y/N says. “Why are you really here? I know you didn’t come all this way just to check up on us.”

Steve sighs. “I’m taking the stones back tomorrow. And when I go back-”

“What?”

“I’m gonna stay in the past. With Peggy.”

Y/N sat for a moment in stunned silence. “You okay?” Steve asks. “Y/N?”

“Yeah, I just- Isn’t that gonna be hard for you? Going back there?”

“Actually, I think it would be harder for me to stay,” he says, looking Y/N in the eyes.

“Steve-”

“I love you Y/N, but I know you love him, and I want you to be happy, so I’m making the best decision for both of us.”

Tears were pouring from both of their eyes at this point. “So that’s it Steve? You’re my best friend in the world, and now you’re going to leave me too?”

“Look, I’m sorry. I’ve gotta go.” Steve starts to walk out of the library. 

“Oh yeah! Walk away! That’s what you’re best at, Rogers!” 

Y/N turns as an entire bookshelf falls to the floor. “What the fu-”

Stephen was standing there. He had heard the whole thing. “Looks like a lot happened while I was away,” he says sarcastically.

“I am not getting into this right now,” Y/N says, standing up. 

“Do you love him?” Stephen asks.

“Stephen-”

“I said, do you love him?”

“No, Stephen! That’s what you wanted to hear, right? God, can you stop thinking about yourself for five seconds? My father AND one of my best friends died! And now, my other best friend, who, yes, I did used to date, but now I just see as a friend– is leaving forever to go back in time, so excuse me if I don’t feel like being all lovey-dovey!” 

Y/N turns to walk out of the library in anger.

“Y/N, wait, I…” Stephen follows her down the hall as she slams the door. “Y/N, open up, please..” 

She doesn’t answer. Stephen backs up to the wall and sinks to the floor, putting his head in his hands. Everything was all his fault. All this pain. HE was the only one that knew about Tony’s sacrifice. He saved Tony’s life five years before, and for what? So that Tony could live to sacrifice his life? 

The time they spent apart and the death of Y/N’s father had created a rift between the two, a rift which wouldn’t easily close.


End file.
